Overconfidence can be foolhardiness. It is advisable to develop self-confidence but one should be at the same time aware of human limitations in the realm of nature. This aware comes from correct information, judgment, reason and even imagination.
The character in the story had little or none of these. All he knew and cared about was making it on foot to Henderson Creek by six in the evening with friends. All he envisioned and provided for was "looking into possibilities of getting out logs from the Yukon (London)," capped by fire and supper. He had nothing but sheer confidence, or overconfidence that bordered on silliness or stupidity, about what he wanted to achieve. Although he was used to the cold, as he descended from a family of survivors of the cod, this was his first Arctic winter in the Yukon. And he thought of negotiating a mile or 10 covered with three feet of ice with bare provisions. Clearly, his reason or judgment was not working. He was not a creature of thought, only of rash decisions, like negotiating that distance in this dead season.
The man underestimated the forces of nature, its omnipotence in winter, and overestimated his capability to surmount. His only assurance was his past survivals and the collective survivals of his ancestry. He only had mittens, ear flaps, warm moccasins and thick socks for his defense in this collision with the awesome power of winter and distance. His own instincts told him there was ominous danger looming in this foolish adventure he wanted to take, but he ignored their correct guidance. His experiences of surmounting overtook his judgment and imagination. Despite the great distance of frightening snow before him, he could afford to pack a lunch, place it underneath his coat...
He overestimated that he would reach his destination without any trouble, although his instincts told him otherwise.
Someone already warned him that it could get too cold in the country at this time. He was likewise warned that it was against the law to cross the trail alone when the temperature was below 50 degrees. It was below 75 degrees when he set off, because he took the warning and the law lightly. He believed he had the warmth and power to overtake winter anywhere. He felt that survival was his belonging. He was confident in things but not in significances (London).
It was bad enough to decide to go to Henderson Creek for some business at this time of the year, in this dead winter. It was worse that the man decided to go alone. When his cheekbones and nose began to yield to the overwhelming freeze of winter and get numb, he took them lightly again. He acknowledged the pain, but dismissed frozen cheekbones and nose as nothing serious. He knew it was disastrous to get wet in the midst of ice, but he also felt he could build a fire to warm parts of him that got wet. But not having imagination and any form of preparation, he had no mind enough to choose building the fire under a spruce tree. In no time, the frost in the tree fell and snuffed out his fire. Being with someone could have prevented him from making stupid but mortal decisions like that. He recognized his mistake and overconfidence only when his extremities began dying by losing oxygen from the blood.
Having a companion, a human companion, could have likewise overturned his decision to cross the icy trail at this time of the year, in the first place. Even when there is an agreement between…
